The field of the invention relates to sports helmets and face masks which are required equipment for participation in a high contact sport such as football. During the regular course of a game, a helmet and the attached face mask are subjected to numerous forces from a variety of angles. The face mask itself serves to protect a player from facial injuries due to frontal or oblique impact as well as protects from being poked or gouged by an opponent's fingers during play.
A conventional face mask is usually made of a wire frame mounted to a football helmet with substantial gaps between wire members to allow ventilation and virtually unrestricted vision. A problem arises when an opponent grabs the wire face mask and violently pulls it down or twists it, creating a possibility of a serious or even life-threatening neck injury to the wearer. The risk is so great that special rules are in force to discourage players from grabbing the face mask. While the penalty for the rule violation will act as a deterrent, there are also many instances of unintentional face mask grabbing or holding which are not reduced by a penalty system.